You're Not Here
by brokensocks
Summary: Love can not be conquered by laws. [Byakuya x Hisana]
1. Prologue: Disenchanted

**Prologue) Disenchanted**

It had started on a sweltering, sunny day. The sun was setting in the horizon, dyeing the surrounding clouds a vibrant red-orange. The sky reflected on the waters of the rice paddies where Hisana's father was taking advantage of the few minutes of sunlight left. Somewhat far from the fields sat the farmer's shabby but cozily happy wooden house. There was much to be happy about; a new baby girl named Rukia had entered the family. Although she wasn't the son the parents had hoped for, they were nevertheless blissful. But Hisana secretly thought that she herself was the most blissful of all. She was excited at the idea of a new responsibility and was hell-bent on being the very best sisterly role-model she could be.

So, here she was, humming softly to herself to the rhythm of the lively swishing of dishwater and hands that were scrubbing the dishes. Her mother was inside the house tending to Rukia. She paused to look out to the fields and she thought she could spot her father climbing up the hill in the distance to pick the pears. To see if he could see her, she waved her arm vigorously. To her delight, she saw him wave back. Or was he waving back? It was probably the long bamboo pole wagging around to reach the pears that were up too high. She sighed, her spirits slightly disappointed but not dampened, and returned to her work.

A sudden violent crash jolted the world and her body. She paid no heed to the tipped wash bucket that sent the wooden bowls tumbling and splashing in the soapy water. Was there an earthquake? Despite the feeling of dread pumping in her stomach, she dashed into the house and found the place a wreck. Part of the roof had caved in and there her mother lay unconscious and bleeding under a pile of debris. She opened her mouth to shout out to her but the wail of an infant grabbed her attention. She spun around and saw the smashed cradle and a bundle of blankets lying in front of the opposite wall. Hisana just stood there, perplexed to why and what was happening.

Then, there was another loud boom. A crater in the shape of a footprint appeared in the dead center of the room and was slowly approaching her baby sister.

"Rukia! No!" screamed Hisana as she dashed toward Rukia. She did not know what was going on, but all she knew was she had to protect her sister. She quickly scooped up the weeping infant and saw a crater open up right in front of her. By instinct, she curled herself around the child in a fetal position and the last thing she felt and heard was the sickening crunch of her own bones.

Despite Hisana's protection, the hollow's powerful arm had squashed her and the baby, the impact killing both of them. Hisana forced open her eyes and was relieved to find Rukia still screaming in her arms. But something wasn't right. It was hard to breathe and a long chain protruded from both of their chests.

"What… is… this?" she asked slowly, tugging the chain gingerly. "Did we die?"

Casually, she tilted her head to the left and gasped at the morbid scene. Her body was lying in a pool of blood, twisting at odd angles and in some places the bone ripped out of the flesh. A nauseating feeling churned in her bowels and she almost threw up except she did not know how to do anything anymore. Rukia's screaming grew increasingly loud and Hisana immediately began to comfort her.

"It's all right Rukia, it's all right, it's all right," she coaxed over and over again. But they were not all right. A shadow crept over the both of them and Hisana forced herself to look up.

What loomed before them was the most hideous and intimidating beast she ever saw. It must have been at least nine feet tall and it wore a frightening mask with blue and black swirls. Spikes stuck out of its back and arms and it had a long snake-like tail which was now swishing back and forth in a threatening manner. Its skin was black and white and its legs were skinny yet muscular in contrast to its brutish and heavy-looking arms. The hollow stared down at them with hungrily intense yellow eyes and gasped out in a throaty voice, "Give… me…" before raising its right arm to deliver the death blow. Hisana's heart pounded wildly and she prepared to scream before a flash of ebony filled the gap between monster and human with the once raised arm flying away, severed. The hollow shrieked in pain and fury and swung around its menacing tail only to have it chopped off like its arm.

"Path of destruction number sixty-three! Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Thunder Roar Cannon!" called the mysterious stranger confidently. A massive wave of yellow light slammed full into the monster's face and with a final, ear-piercing shriek, disappeared. Hisana could only sit there, mouth gaping open in amazement like a koi fish and still clutching the crying baby. Her savior lowered his sword and turned around to face her. He saved her from being devoured just in time, but not from dying.

"How did… what… who are you?" she whispered, frightened.

"A soul reaper," he answered in a bored tone. He grimaced in annoyance at Rukia's cries and raised his sword.

"Wait! What are you—?"

He simply tapped her forehead with the end of the sword's handle. Hisana blinked in confusion as he did the same for Rukia. Then, a portal of bright light appeared beneath the two of them and they sank into it.

"What's happening?" she asked frantically.

"You're going to Soul Society. That's all." The last thing she saw before everything went completely white was the soul reaper turning around and jumping through the hole the hollow had created in the first place.

---

When her vision returned, she found herself standing at the end of a long line in a completely different place. She looked around, hoping to find something or someone familiar. The place looked like some sort of courtyard with a few amount of buildings and a wall with a gate in each side boxing them all in. Flora was scattered along the sides of the walls and the sky was a peaceful blue with puffy white clouds. She looked down and was relieved when she found Rukia cuddled up in her arms inspecting her new environment in equal curiosity. Hisana smiled faintly and blinked when she found two slips of paper tucked into her left hand. She slightly cocked her head to the side and read the slips with identical text.

JULY 25, 1852

DISTRICT 78, INUZURI, SOUTH

She remembered that it was July 25 when that monster came into their house. She remembered the figure in black saying something about Soul Society and he himself said that he was a soul reaper. She began to panic. They were dead! She looked around. If their parents weren't here, that probably meant they were still alive. Hisana was relieved and frightened. She did not know what to do without them.

She also didn't know what the paper meant by 'Inuzuri'. What was Inuzuri? She had to ask someone. She stared at the lady in front of her and judging by her hunched back, she could tell she was somewhat old.

"Excuse me…" she began, but the old woman spun around and shot her a nasty look that could have split a rock in two. Hisana shuddered and mumbled, "Sorry."

When the woman turned back around, Hisana looked behind her. A few people had mysteriously appeared behind her all looking just as confused as she was and scrutinized the paper in their hands once they had noticed it. Hisana sighed and shyly said again to the old woman in front, "Excuse me, ma'am…"

The old woman shot her another bloodthirsty glare and spat, "Couldn't you shut your whiny trap for a few minutes?"

"I deeply apologize, but I need to know where I am and what's going on," Hisana nervously squeaked. The lady had this look in her eye that Hisana could not quite put her finger on and said in a husky voice, "I overheard those bastards in the black garb that seem to be running this place. Let's see… you died same day as I did, but you're going to the Inuzuri district in the south."

"District?" Hisana echoed. The elderly lady sighed impatiently.

"Yes! We newcomers are going to Rukon-something, and it's split up into the north, south, west, and east. There are districts in those areas, and I'm going to the one in the west called—" she checked her slip of paper, "District 3, Hokutan." Here, she began to rant.

"I don't know why the hell we should listen to those pompous asses, hell; I didn't even want to come. And even after I come to this shithole, they still boss me around." She gingerly rubbed her ugly cherry red nose. "One of them was doing that teleport-flashy-thing and she was a total klutz. The first time, she missed. The second time she bonked me right in the nose. She kept saying sorry but I ain't a dumbass, she damn well did that on purpose." She scrunched her nose in anger and winced at the pain. She blew a puff of air from between her teeth, turned around, and resumed her grumbling.

Hisana wanted to laugh, but she knew better. She was a little worried. What could she do in a strange new land? She supposed she could get a job, but how can she work and support Rukia at the same time?

Just then, a gate at the south end of the wall busted upon and a flamboyant young soul reaper yelled, "Okay! Everyone with District 78, Inuzuri, please step over here!"

There was a hustle and bustle as people checked their slips and shuffled over to the young soul reaper. Number 78. Hisana double-checked her paper and quickly said to the old woman, "Thank you for everything." The lady merely shrugged in acknowledgement to her words.

As Hisana was swept into the crowd, she began to think, _Well, maybe it's not so bad. I suppose I could always make friends with kids like me and we could all help each other. After all, I promised to take care of Rukia._ She gripped the babe in her arms securely and marched on to her new life.

---

She might as well have been in hell.

Inuzuri was worse than she thought. There was trash and waste everywhere with violence and plunder on top. Everyone was focused on their own goal to survive. People were constantly killing and stealing.

Hisana never approved of stealing. Even when a golden chance stood before her, she refused to take it. Despite the gloom and doom of the slum she resided in, she still believed that moral came first, even if it cost a satisfied stomach. But whenever she did find food, she always gave the bigger portion to Rukia, who was now rapidly growing. Unfortunately, she was not growing as rapidly as a child should be growing. Nutrition was hard to come by and their stomachs always rumbled, sending the two of them into low spirits. Rukia cried all the time and Hisana did her best to cheer her up by playing with her. In return, Rukia's bubbly giggling cheered her in the same way. They did not play anything extreme and exceedingly active because of their lack of energy. Hisana also did her best to provide for the both of them, taking up odd jobs or scrounging the trash. Very little did she succeed in both, there was too much competition.

---

She did not know what to blame, her own weakness, or hunger. She was walking down the street as usual, and their stomachs were demanding to be filled. She spotted a melon cart down at the end of the street, unattended. She stood there, unsure what to do.

One part of her, established by her father, told her to do always do what was right, and stealing was anything but right. He told her to always shine no matter how dark the world became. Another part of her, established by her mother, scolded her for not taking proper care of Rukia.

That part of her was right. But what could she do? Stealing was bad, but not giving Rukia the food and care she needed was bad too. That's when she decided that Rukia took first priority. She cautiously stepped toward the cart. _Forgive me, Father, but by doing this, I am taking care of Rukia, which is the right thing to do._ She was crouching by the melon cart now.

_Here goes. _ She took a deep breath and locked her eyes on the closest melon. She reached out to grab it, only to be stopped by a giant, hairy hand enveloping her entire forearm. Her blood ran cold and her heart pounded in her ears. She slowly dragged her head up to stare face-to-face to her opponent. He had a hostile grin on his face and she could see his rotting teeth and his grimy, unshaved face.

"I gotcha, cunt," he sneered evilly. Before Hisana knew was happening, she was already thrown effortlessly through the air and landed gracelessly on her back. She quickly scrambled back onto her feet only to feel her shins give out underneath her by an unfriendly trip. She made sure she landed on her back for Rukia's sake and saw a rough filthy foot swing into her face. She was knocked into the ground and saw Rukia's dirt-smeared face scrunch up for a cry.

"Don't cry, Rukia," she cooed gently as the man continued to punish her body. She curled herself around Rukia as she did once when the hollow attacked. The last time she did this, the hollow easily killed both of them, but this time, she would protect her. Rukia's face slightly relaxed but still held a worried expression. Hisana forced a comforting smile and bit her lip so she would not cry out in pain. Then she felt herself tip over and land on the hard sun-baked dirt. The melon merchant spat on her head and roared to all witnesses: "This is what happens when you screw with me! If you've got guts to take my melons, you'll end up like her!"

Hisana assumed the attack was over and struggled to flee. Another violent kick in her lower back helped her forward. She heard him yell, "Go on, you whore! You'd better pray you don't see my face ever again! If I see yours, I'll kill you!" She scrambled away, not daring to steal a glance over her shoulder and relieved that she succeeded in defending her baby sister.

---

She did not know how long she walked. She staggered along, black and blue from her beating and panting heavily. All she knew was that she kept walking and walking until the sun had set so low that it seemed to set the landscape ablaze with its color. She paused and looked at the beautiful streaks of blue, red, purple, orange, and yellow. Tears began to form in her eyes. It reminded her of that seemingly ordinary day, the dishes, the bamboo pole/arm, the monster, and the soul reaper. Why them? What had they done wrong? She sighed and took a step but discovered her legs could not handle such an action. She landed face-flat in the dirt with Rukia strapped to her back by a crude sash she made by tearing off a piece of her _kimono_ (her arms were no longer strong enough to hold her). Then, she cracked.

She cried like never before. She cried at the unfairness of her situation, her weakness, at how cruel fate can be. Rukia cried right along with her. The two of them cried together until there were no more tears to spill. She simply hated herself. She remembered the ambitious promise she made what seemed like eons ago to protect and provide for Rukia. But now, all hope was lost.

"I'm sorry," she half-sobbed as she drew Rukia close. "I'm sorry I'm so weak. I'm sorry you don't have anyone better to take care of you. I'm sorry I'm such a horrible sister. I'm sorry… for everything." Rukia did not respond. Hisana looked down and studied her carefully. She had already cried herself to sleep. She had a little tuft of hair that began to snake its way down in between her eyebrows. Her skin was grubby and stretched tight over her bones and her cheeks were tearstained. Hisana breathed deeply. She knew what she had to do.

---

She stopped in front of a low apartment door. The door was chipped and scratched, and part of the window was broken, possibly from a violent street fight that happened to pass by. It appeared to be inhabited. She sighed one last time and set Rukia down on the doorstep. She was willing to admit that she could not take care of her. Part of her screamed not to leave her, but she knew she had to. She so desperately wanted to keep her, but she regarded the feeling as selfish. She was too weak. Why should Rukia suffer because of her lack of strength? Pretty soon, the two of them will die of hunger or disease. The best chance Rukia had was to be taken in by a stranger who hopefully had a good heart and was able to provide. She grabbed a dusty brick red stone and scribbled 'Rukia' on the ratty swaddling.

"Forgive me," she whispered as she stood up with great effort. She turned around and forced herself to run and not to look back.

_Run, run,_ a darker part of her mind teased. _Run like the dog of a coward you are. Run because you can not do anything. Run because you are worthless. Run because you are a helpless urchin. And never look back._

Hisana did run. She knew she was worthless. She knew she was weak. She knew that she could not do anything. And she did not look back, afraid that her resolve would break. She ran until she was in a less-inhabited part of Inuzuri. She ran until she tripped over her own feet and landed in the dry, litter-infested grass. And she cried.

---

_20 minutes later…_

"Look! She's so cute! May we keep her?"


	2. One: Enchanted

**Chapter One) Enchanted**

Byakuya wandered the streets of the Rukongai, disgusted. His purpose was to command the search party for a supposedly runaway soul reaper that had gone bad. He believed that if he was a captain, he wouldn't be sent on missions ridiculous as this one. Despite his feelings, he knew that orders were orders, and orders were meant to be obeyed.

---

He had twelve soul reapers under his command. He split them into groups of four and assigned each group a primary cardinal point. They suspected the criminal soul reaper was gathering followers in the Rukongai, hoping to overthrow the Court of Pure Souls. There had been many rebellions before, ranging from minor to major, but the Seireitei put its foot down on all of them to show Rukongai its place. Unfortunately, when the time came for Commander-General Yamamoto to choose someone for a small retrieval party, his finger landed on Assistant Captain Kuchiki of the 13th Company. Ever since the issuing of the order, he hoped this rebel would get the death penalty.

---

At least he could have a lone walk in the moonlight. He honestly disliked being with other people (save a select few) for all of them were too rowdy and childish to comprehend the complex system he called himself. He was so carelessly lost in thought that he accidentally brushed against a branch hanging dangerously low. He turned to look at it and saw a small cherry blossom blooming. It was a delicate pink and he could just barely make out the near-invisible veins arching throughout its petals. He looked up at the tree and saw more cherry blossoms flowering in random places. _Such a tranquil sight._ He stepped around the tree to view it at a different angle until something much more beautiful caught his eye.

It was a girl. She was sitting recklessly on a bridge's railing and was also gazing spellbound at another blossoming tree. He could see her left profile clearly for the moonlight helped her radiate. It was such a sad, yet breath-taking sight. Her childlike eyes were large and the black gleaming orbs within them stood still as she stared at the flowers. Her peach-colored lips were slightly curved upwards in shy contentment yet the filth on her skin and raggedy excuses for clothing told a different story. Wait… she was closer now, how did that happen? Byakuya stole a glance at the ground and saw that his feet were walking of their own accord, urging him to get a closer look. He obeyed his feet and kept approaching silently.

Now that he was standing right next to her, he did not know what to do. His hand ached to touch her to confirm that she was real, but Byakuya ignored it. His hand twitched once as if jealous he would obey his feet but not his hand. That was when she noticed him. She was a little surprised to see someone standing right next to her but quickly turned back to the flower she was inspecting.

"Look," she said so quietly that Byakuya had to strain his ears to listen. "The _sakura_ has bloomed." Her voice sent warm shivers down his back. It was gently melodic and enchanting like the soft tinkering of bells. He was unable to say nothing in return, so by default he answered, "I know."

The woman turned her head to smile at him. Byakuya could do nothing but stare back. Her sparkling eyes captivated him and penetrated his cold exterior like a spear, making his heart melt. But Hisana began to take in his full figure, the _kenseikan_, the clean, powdery white scarf, and the soul reaper uniform. She was so startled by his sudden identity that she almost toppled off her seat. Instead, she quickly clambered down the railing and bowed low to the ground.

"Forgive me, soul reaper-sama," she quickly apologized. Byakuya's right eyebrow quirked up.

"What for?"

"For…" Hisana hesitated. She had no idea why she was apologizing. "For… being silly? I mean… you probably shouldn't be here with me in the first place… or…"

What a strange woman. Yes, she was being silly, for apologizing for silly things. Her hair was rather unique too. It wasn't too long but it curved down the side of her neck and flared out at the end. An adamant lock of hair ran down from almost the center of her hairline and continued toward the right between her thin eyebrows. He whipped around.

"Do not presume." He began to walk away. His pride praised him for this, but his heart screamed at him to turn around and stay. He half-listened to it and stopped.

"What is your name?" he demanded without turning around. Hisana, who was beginning to straighten her back, bowed low to the ground once more, forgetting that he wasn't looking.

"Hisana… soul reaper-sama," she replied courteously. Byakuya then turned around and faced her. _She was still bowing?_

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya. Not soul reaper-sama." He surprised himself. Why was he telling a peasant woman his name? He viciously reprimanded himself for not being able to control his tongue. Just when he thought he regained control, his mouth shot out, "I expect you to resume blossom-viewing here tomorrow night." He continued to curse himself but his emotionless mask never wavered.

Hisana's eyes widened as she stared at the ground. _Does he want to…?_

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama."

Byakuya quickly disappeared using flash steps before his heart could devour his pride again. He stopped at a gate in a different district. What was he thinking? It's not like he would return anytime soon. But he had an urge to do so. A familiar voice soon relieved him of his confused thoughts.

"Assistant Captain Kuchiki!" shouted one of the approaching party members. He was followed by five more men, dragging a few bodies which included the rogue soul reaper. "We have successfully captured the violator and his accomplices!"

"Very well. Bind them up and gather the others. We're moving out," ordered Byakuya before showing his back to them.

"Yes, sir!" They all did as they were commanded. Byakuya looked up at the moon. He had a strong impression it was mocking him the way an older brother teases his younger brother.

Byakuya hated to admit it. He had fallen for a commoner woman.


	3. Two: Daybreak

**Chapter Two) Daybreak**

She feared him.

From the moment she got a good look at him, she feared him.

She feared soul reapers in general. The memory of the soul reaper who saved them remained in her mind. After witnessing that battle, she never underestimated how powerful they could be. The black uniform, the deadly spells and swords, the sometimes bored, sometimes cynical, sometimes angry looks on their faces frightened her. So far, she did not see a soul reaper who treated the people of Rukongai with respect. She once saw one pick a fight with a heavy-weight man just for the heck of it. You can only guess who won.

But the soul reaper she feared above all was Kuchiki Byakuya. She knew no one that could keep a straighter face for a long duration than he. She saw many people attempting to retain a cool, apathetic look, but they did not and could not hold it forever. HE could. The indifferent face, his sharp facial features, the piercing purple-gray eyes, and the soul slayer all frightened her. She did not doubt that he was a powerful warrior. Even though he cloaked his spiritual energy, she could still feel the power and unspoken authority pouring from his very being. She was afraid that if she stepped one toe out of line, she would lose it. This fear made her behave the very best she could when with him.

They met regularly in all sorts of places. Tonight it would be by the river, tomorrow by a tree or the day after in the fields. Despite her fear of Byakuya's presence, she found herself looking forward to nightfall. She did not know why, maybe it was because she was lonely ever since she abandoned Rukia. She had shaken her head free of this thought. She did not want things to look like she was replacing Rukia with this man.

As time wore on, they revealed more about themselves to each other. Hisana learned that this man was part of the Gotei 13, the military force in Seireitei. He explained that there were thirteen companies with twenty seats each. The first seat, captain, was the highest aside from the commander-general position of First Company. He also told her that he was second seat of the 13th Company and that he aimed to receive first of his own company. Hisana was both shocked and amazed. He already seemed invincible to her, there were people that were more powerful AND outranked him?

When she gathered enough courage to ask him about his _kenseikan_ and scarf Byakuya almost grudgingly relayed their meaning to her and the position of his clan. But he appeared to like his scarf. Hisana could not believe such a powerful man was conversing with her so she bowed low to the ground and began to apologize profusely for being lowly and unworthy. Byakuya simply told her to rise and that there was nothing to apologize for. Hisana flushed with embarrassment and began to apologize for apologizing for nothing. An irritated look from Byakuya silenced her.

She told him little of her personal life because she thought he would think of it as uninteresting. _Of course he would_, thought Hisana. It only consisted of finding food and water, a safe place to catnap a little (nobody actually slept in Inuzuri, there was a good chance your throat would be slit during your slumber), and keeping an eye out for signs of Rukia's well-being. She did not inform him of the latter; she was still ashamed of her action. But still, why should the difficult life of a commoner concern him? Not that it would make an impression. If she had the powers of a soul reaper, surviving in Inuzuri would be a cakewalk.

Byakuya, she discovered, was far more different than any other man she met. She could not remember if she met a man in her previous life, so she compared him to the men she encountered in Soul Society. He was serious and austere, much more than your average soul reaper. He had an air of pride about him but it was unlike the conceited pride most soul reapers donned. It was a silent sort of pride, the self-confident sort. Even though he had much to boast about, very rarely did he do so. He was not rowdy and vulgar like the men of Inuzuri, but serene and quiet. Hisana began to wonder if he really was a quiet person or if he was just shy.

The more time Hisana spent with Byakuya, the more she noticed about him, especially his looks. He was the image of perfection. Standing at 5'9, he was rather short for someone his age but still towered over her. His clothes did not hold the slightest speck of dust and his nose curved flawlessly from his brow. He had a straight hairline with clean, shiny hair. His face was long, but not too long, and had a well-built body. Looking at him made her cheeks color so she always averted her gaze.

She thought the best thing about their conversations were the fun, unimportant facts. She discovered he had a taste for spicy food but her sensitive taste buds prevented her from having the same preference. But in Inuzuri, you were forced to take what you can get.

One thing they did have in common was their admiration of plants. Both were fascinated by their beauty and uncomplicated lives centered on the goal of simply living. Hisana found this amusing, such a regal, distant man stopping to appreciate the flowers nobody looked twice at.

When it was time for her to share her likes and dislikes she pursed her lips in thought. She was certainly unlike the aristocrat girls Byakuya was familiar with. What she loved was simple. She adored the bees happily hovering among the dandelions, the clouds drifting in the sky, the wind blowing through the trees, the shining of stars, and of course, the mere existence of flowers. She was uncertain if he would find this simplistic answer acceptable. Nevertheless, she gave the question her best answer.

"I like," she paused. "To watch the sun rise." She turned to look at his expression. It gave nothing away as usual but he blinked rapidly a few times. Hisana smiled a little. Was he surprised? His gaze wandered up to the sky and held it there. She glanced up too. Light was beginning to creep into the world of the night, announcing morning's approach.

"You'd better get going," she said softly. "Your family wouldn't like to see you gone."

"They do not matter," Byakuya replied bluntly. Hisana looked at him with surprise. His dark eyebrows were slightly furrowed in a pondering manner as he continued to analyze the sky. He suddenly spoke, making Hisana jolt a little.

"You enjoy watching the sun rise, correct?"

Hisana sighed impatiently. "Yes, I do, but that doesn't matter right now. You have your own work to contend with and I don't want to cause anymore trouble for you. Besides, it's just beginning to rise from the mountains; you'll have to climb somewhere high to see it properly—"

At this, Byakuya swiftly swept her up in his arms and jumped off. Hisana yelped involuntarily and wound her arms around his neck for stability and security. Her touch surprised Byakuya. He was horrified at how light, how BONY and frail she was.

The scenery flew past them in a blur, but Hisana did not ask where they were going; she was too busy clinging to Byakuya as if he were a lifeline. She could barely tell they were galloping up a hill of some kind and soon by the snaps and groans of wood they were in a tree. The world finally stopped and Byakuya laid Hisana at the crook where the limb met the trunk. Hisana wrapped her arms around the trunk; thankful the rushing stopped and tried to clear her head of the dizziness whirling around before her eyes. She blinked repeatedly until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

"Can you see it better here?"

Hisana turned to face the sight in front of her and gasped in delight.

There before them was the rising sun. There were no clouds present in the sky so the faint traces of stars were visible. As the violet sky neared the sun it burned up into blue and yellow. Unlike sunsets which brought painful memories back to Hisana, sunrises represented a new day and new hope. As she continued to gawk, Byakuya sat down gracefully next to her and placed both hands on the branch to support himself.

"Kuchiki-sama, this is, I—" She strongly wanted to thank him but words were beginning to fail her. Her babbling was quieted by an index finger placed vertically on her lips. Her cheeks turned as red as a tomato and she looked at Byakuya. His mouth was formed in a straight line but his eyes were smiling.

"Just watch," he commanded and turned to look at the sun. Hisana did as she was told but was no longer focusing on the view the perch provided. Her eyes sneakily trailed down to her bottom left and saw that his hand was sitting on the limb, exposed. She was tempted to touch it but could not for fear of offending him.

_Maybe just a little, _she thought as her hand crawled slowly over._ I guess I can always say it was an accident, but what if he doesn't believe me? What if he doesn't forgive me? _She landed on that thought too late. Her hand had already brushed against his. He looked down at his right hand and Hisana blushed beet red. She made an attempt to quickly pull back but it was impossible to do so when his fingers began to twine together with hers. Her breath quickened; she had not expected a reaction like this. She carefully looked at his face and was even more surprised when she thought she saw an almost-invisible upward curve of his lips. Before she could confirm what she saw, he had already turned back to the sun. Hisana smiled feebly to herself.

She did not have to fear him after all.


	4. Three: Winter

**Chapter Three) Winter**

Hisana reclined lazily on her futon in her room as she stared out the window. The snow had freshly fallen, wrapping up the world in a fluffy blanket of white. Sprawling above the purity was the vast, gentle blue sky with thin wisps of clouds scattered here and there. She usually stayed in her room to avoid the murderous glances of the Kuchiki elders and servants alike. She did not completely mind, her room was more than big enough to pace around in but boredom still reigned.

She exhaled deeply and goose bumps rose from her flesh. It was cold in her enormous chamber. She pulled out a thick spare blanket and wrapped herself up in it. She was too passive to haul herself to her wardrobe to put on something warmer. It may seem juvenile, but she liked the protection her makeshift cocoon offered. _Well, I suppose it depends on the situation,_ thought Hisana. She knew perfectly well that it was much colder outside, which made her grateful for being indoors. When the thought of Rukia sleeping outside in the freezing snow entered her mind, she quickly banished it. Her heart told her that she was still alive out there, and she would soon be found. Despite this reassurance, her insides were left with a numb, dull feeling. To soothe herself, she reached for the tea pot to pour herself some steaming green tea until it occurred to her that she had already drained the last of it. She sighed again and pulled the blanket tighter around her. She didn't want to bother asking for refills, the last servant wasn't exactly friendly.

She soon began to tire of sitting there and yanked off the sheet. She stood up and edged over to the window and looked outside. The snow gleamed a little strongly from the sunlight, but it still had a serene feeling to it.

"How pretty…" she said to herself.

"Not as much as you," a deep voice responded.

Hisana jumped and looked around. No one. Suspiciously, she stuck her head out the window and peered left and right. There, on her right, stood Byakuya.

"Ku-Kuchiki-sama! You're back!" exclaimed Hisana.

"So it seems."

Hisana suppressed the urge to openly display her annoyance. It was useless getting a plain yes or no out of this guy. "If you wanted to talk to me, you could have just knocked on my door, couldn't you?"

"I didn't want to disturb you. I decided to judge whether or not to knock by investigating from the window."

Hisana turned bright red. "Ex-excuse me? Kuchiki-sama, what if I was indecent?"

"I would not have looked."

"But you wouldn't know whether or not if you should look in the first place!"

"Would I?" Byakuya stood in front of her window so he was facing her. "You look properly clothed to me." Hisana hissed out an exasperated sigh. She could retaliate against that statement with a bunch of different methods but decided to end the squabble here.

"All right. I'm coming out. I'll get my winter _kimono_ and this time, Kuchiki-sama, please wait at my door."

Byakuya nodded and departed.

After a fair amount of passing time Hisana finally managed to successfully struggle into the fancy clothes the house lent her. She opened the door and found Byakuya patiently waiting in his winter _haori_. Hisana stepped out and slid the door behind her shut.

"Hello, Kuchiki-sama," she greeted and promptly bowed. Byakuya's sinewy hand gently tilted her head up by the chin.

"Please, Hisana. We are to be wed soon, and yet you still address me as a master. I don't think you would appreciate it if I entitled you as Hisana-sama, would you?"

"I am not worthy of such a title!" declared a flustered Hisana.

"Then please address me a little more informally."

Hisana thought for a moment. "Will Byakuya-sama do?" Byakuya sighed deeply.

"Very well." He reached inside of his sleeve. Hisana was curious, then surprised when he pulled out a plain but elegant pink silk scarf. Her eyes widened, confused. Byakuya inclined his head as a gesture for her to do the same and she quickly bowed her head. He wrapped the scarf securely around her neck.

_It's warm… and soft, _Hisana thought as she straightened up. Byakuya stepped back to scan her over and nodded his head in approval and admiration. Hisana blushed and bowed once more.

"Thank you Ku— I mean— Byakuya-sama." He silently linked arms with her as his equivalent to a 'you're welcome' and the two of them walked off.

---

_They decided to get married once the first _sakura_ bloomed. It was to symbolize their love for each other, and just like spring was a sign of new life, they were starting a new life together. It was also the day they first met. When Byakuya announced his engagement to the elders, their faces were a concoction of shock, horror, disgust, anger, and confusion._

"_How long have you been seeing her?" they demanded._

"_I must say for almost a year now," replied Byakuya smoothly. This answer baffled them. Even though they carefully monitored his schedule, they had not known or seen any signs of him interacting with a woman, much less a peasant woman._

"_How do you know the girl is not a random prostitute?" a somewhat younger (but still rather old) elder growled. Byakuya shot him a look of severe abhorrence. "The 'girl' has a name. Hisana does not partake in, or favor such impurities. I will marry her—"_

_Another elder, one of the older ones, slammed his fist on the table. "We forbid such an action! Noble blood is not to be mixed with dirt! Have you forgotten the Kuchiki laws?"_

_Byakuya glowered dangerously at him. "If I were to compare her blood with yours, I would label yours as wastewater. I also find it quite interesting that a senile fool with a mind too old to remember anything is accusing me of forgetfulness. As I was saying before I was __**nobly**_ _infringed, I will marry her, and none of you are going to do anything about it. End of discussion."_

---

"There," said Byakuya and he stepped over to his fiancée's side to examine their work. It was a snow sculpture of a creature with a frilly body similar to seaweed. Its legs and arms were deformed and it had a determined expression on its face. Despite its lack of professional skill, Hisana loved it all the same. But it was too plain for her taste.

"Hmmm," thought Hisana out loud. "There's something missing."

"Missing?" inquired Byakuya as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Hisana nodded slowly.

"It needs something like… an accessory." Impulsively, she liberated herself from her pink scarf and tied the silky fabric around the seaweed ambassador's nonexistent neck. "How about now?"

Byakuya smiled ever so slightly. "If it is going to be a woman, it will need this." He knelt down and scooped up some dirty snow and smeared it across the sculpture's mouth as if it were lipstick.

Hisana couldn't help giggling at his childish pantomime. "You don't have to be a girl to wear pink."

Byakuya turned to her with a hardened gaze. "It is unlike a man to dress in pink."

He said it in such a grave tone that Hisana almost fell over laughing. "You're just trying to sound manly," she giggled as she brushed some snow into his face.

"I do not have to attempt to be what I already am," countered Byakuya swiping the snow back at her.

"Oh, sorry, my mistake," teased Hisana finally throwing a handful of snow at his forehead. Byakuya tried to keep a straight face as the icy water dribbled slowly from his _kenseikan _and down his bangs. He quickly packed a slush ball together and chucked it (not with too much force) at her as a reply. It smacked Hisana right below the chin and she screamed as the freezing slush ran down her _kimono_ without the protection of her scarf.

"Y-you!" she gasped hoarsely as she unglued the soaked cloth sticking to her chest. "That was dirty!" She resolved to wipe that smirk off his face. Byakuya dodged a furious snowball and quickly began to form one of his own. Hisana took advantage of this precious moment to pummel him in the back of his head with a freshly manufactured snowball. Byakuya winced a little at the shocking cold but returned the favor with three snowballs. One missed but the other two hit their target dead center. Hisana wheezed for air and scrambled behind the tree for cover to gather more ammunition.

Their battle continued until Hisana was laughing so hard she couldn't throw a snowflake. She flopped onto the powdery snow and leaned against the tree, trying to breathe. The pain in her side helped her quiet down a bit. After clutching her aching rib she made the mistake of looking at Byakuya.

Was he a sight. His hair was disheveled and he too was dripping wet. The best part was his fluctuating expression. His mouth squirmed here and there as he struggled to maintain a calm expression but it was only obvious he was losing. This resulted in making Hisana burst into another wave of hysterics which in turn made Byakuya crack. His laughter first emerged as long shuddering breaths until it steadily fanned into a sincere, happy one. They both chuckled together until their ribs begged for mercy and tears were pouring from their eyes. Their laughter rang throughout the gardens, making the loudest noise the quiet Kuchiki mansion ever had in 200 years.

When the fits finally subsided and they were through gasping for air, Hisana asked, "Where did you learn how to fight like that, Byakuya-sama? You're pretty good." The distant look on his face made her regret it.

"In my childhood," he answered heavily in a strange voice. Hisana could not say anything in return. Byakuya's emotionless shell was back. An uncomfortable silence hovered over them until an unexpected breeze blew it away. Hisana shivered. Her scarf was still swaddled tightly around the seaweed ambassador snow sculpture and her clothes were damp with snow.

All of a sudden, a long, white piece of material was draped around her shoulders and neck. She quickly turned to Byakuya. His scarf was so long it could have wrapped around two people's necks, which was exactly what he was doing.

"It's cold, isn't it?" whispered Byakuya. It was, but Hisana could feel her cheeks on fire. He pulled the scarf tighter around them, forcing her to draw nearer in order to be comfortable. Hisana gulped. He did not show affection often. Usually, she was too fainthearted and shy while he was too proud. Hisana timidly reached out to embrace him and he accepted this. He enveloped her with his warm powerful arms and sighed contentedly. "Thank you, Hisana."

Hisana glanced up at him. "Why?"

Byakuya shifted a little and tightened his grasp around her body. "It has been a long time since I laughed so freely." He looked down at her with a real smile. Hisana could feel her blush spread all over her face and smiled back. _He has a nice smile, the kind of smile that should be smiled more often, _thought Hisana.

Then, without premonition, he pressed his mouth against hers and ran his hands absentmindedly along her back. She was stunned at first, but her eyes flapped shut and began to do the same as she pulled herself closer to him.


	5. Four: Summer

**Chapter Four) Summer**

The rain poured maliciously from the stormy clouds. It was nothing new or special, just one of those summer downpours.

Hisana watched as the heavens spilled their teary lamentation from Byakuya's office window. She had accompanied him to work that day because she was curious about the duties of an officer. He had warned her that it was boring when nothing happened, but when something **did** happen, things could get very dangerous. Hisana did not mind. She was trained mercilessly by the crushing boredom and stillness of the Kuchiki house, what harm could a day at the office do? She agreed to stay out of the way when missions came around and when the mission got too perilous, she promised him that she would go back to the mansion.

Byakuya did not fib. It really was boring. He sat at his desk for most of the day, signing paperwork, issuing orders, taking notes, writing reports, and more. Captain Ukitake was not there; he was out sick which left Byakuya with double duty. He did not seem to mind and treated the extra burdens as 'captain training'. Hisana wanted to scoff. There was nothing to gain by training yourself to death.

She continued to watch the clouds roll by until the two of them heard barely concealed anxious footsteps. The door was slammed open by a division member.

"Assistant Captain Kuchiki! Where is Captain Ukitake?"

"I am afraid he is still ill," replied Byakuya as he piled some papers together. He looked up. "How may I help you?"

"It's terrible, sir! The river running through west and south Rukongai has overflowed! The place is filling up, fast! It could destroy all the districts!"

Hisana feel her heartbeats slow down upon these words. Inuzuri was in south Rukongai and was certainly by a river.

"Rukia," she whispered as the two soul reapers babbled on in urgent voices.

"Assemble every soul reaper you can and meet by Station 114 immediately. We have no time to lose. I am positive that there are many who are in need of evacuation," commanded Byakuya firmly.

"Yes, sir!" The soul reaper dashed out of the room.

Byakuya quickly fumbled around for a few things and snatched up his soul slayer. He began to stride out of the office until he was halted by a hand clinging to his sleeve. He turned to look at Hisana.

"Byakuya-sama, please, take me with you!" pleaded Hisana. He shook his head.

"No. It is dangerous." He tugged his sleeve free from her grasp. Hisana just grabbed it again.

"I beg you, Byakuya-sama! Rukia's out there!"

"How do you expect to find her in this chaos?" demanded Byakuya irritably.

She didn't give up. "Byakuya-sama, please!" She didn't have to explain any further. The two of them already knew what she wanted and her reasons for her stubbornness. She had such a desperate look on her face that Byakuya could not resist.

"As you wish. Take an umbrella and stay close to me."

Hisana nodded gratefully and grabbed a black umbrella leaning against the doorframe. Byakuya mounted her into his arms and employed _shunpo_ to flash out of the 13th Division headquarters.

---

The roads were flooded and muddy and the rain helped the mist swirl rebelliously around. Surprisingly, there were not many people to evacuate. Most of them had already escaped on their own or drowned. The soul reapers counted the casualties as they gathered the dead (well, they're already dead, so they gathered the **dead** dead). Byakuya was somewhere gathering intelligence on the overall situation while Hisana sat helplessly under the overhang of one of the buildings as several soul reapers milled around idly. They had discovered that the excessive water finally shattered the already deteriorating dam and overflowed. After using _kidou_ and flash steps to quickly repair the damage and channel the flow somewhere else, the water level had gone down to just a few vast puddles, but the place was still a mess.

She kept her eyes peeled open for signs of any little girls with black hair. None yet. She sighed, disheartened. What to expect? What would she be doing out in the rain in the first place? She could have drowned for all she knew. Hisana shuddered at this dark thought. How could she conjure such a fantasy?

As time crawled by, that possibility had already planted itself in her stomach. She hated it and her fear of her sister's death was growing stronger. She might have to check with the undertakers. Unexpectedly, an apprehensive voice snatched her from her turmoil.

It was another soul reaper, one with a big nose, cleft chin, and tiny eyes. "Hey? I thought I already told you to get lost! What are you doing back—?" He paused and his small beady eyes widened. "M-Mrs.Kuchiki-sama! My sincerest apologies! Please forgive me; I was mistaking you for someone else. You really shouldn't be here, ya know, the place is horrible… sheesh…"

Hisana's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Huh? Oh, eh, it's nothing really. There's was just some brat who looked like you that's all, of course, she's way too little and—"

"Where? Where did you see her? What was she doing? What did you say to her? Did she say her name? Describe her exact appearance, please!" spilled Hisana uncontrollably.

"Whoa! Whoa! Mrs. Kuchiki-sama! Settle down! I was out patrolling the area and somewhere over there (here he pointed at an alleyway a good distance away from them) I saw a little girl pacing around like she was lost or something. I said before, she looked a lot like you except she must've been six or something. I told her to get lost and she took off, just like that, down there (he pointed further down the street). Why do you ask? Huh?"

Hisana wasn't there. She had already gone.

---

Byakuya returned to the overhang bearing two small cups of steaming red bean soup. To his surprise, he found the black umbrella lying on the splintery porch instead of his wife.

"Foolish woman," he breathed as he set the cups down and picked up the umbrella. "I told her to stay put."

---

Hisana ran like the wind through the streaming rain, looking frantically here and there for any signs of a little girl. She did not realize she was getting soaked to the bone and that she had forgotten her umbrella. All she knew was that Rukia was here, recently too. _She's alive! Rukia's alive!_

"Rukia!" She shouted through the neighborhood. The wind howled loudly and only the rumbling thunder responded. The streets were deserted. But none of this registered in Hisana's mind. She began to suck in a deep breath to yell again until she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She spun around nervously, one thing she did not forget was how dangerous Inuzuri was for lone women. But it was only Byakuya, shielded against the shower by the black umbrella.

"Byakuya-sama! Rukia! She was here!"

Byakuya suppressed his desire to sigh. He was afraid this would happen.

"Hisana, come inside." He took her hand. She quickly pulled away like he was a hot stove.

"No! I can't! It's my fault! It was all because I wasn't strong enough! Maybe if I held out a little longer, we would still be together!" She spun around and screamed again, "Rukia!"

Byakuya gently reached for her hand again. "Hisana…" he began. She stepped away from him.

"You don't understand! Rukia's out there in the rain because of me! She—"

"**Hisana**," said Byakuya in a forceful tone.

She whirled around, hurt and surprised. It was the first time he spoke so sternly with her.

He pushed her down gently onto a stone bench with his free hand.

"That is true. I do not understand. I do not understand the ties siblings share. But what I **do** understand is that your sister is very important to you. I know that feeling. I want you to find her. I want to help you. Please understand that. But as of now, you are letting your ambitions cloud your judgment. Your sister has no reason to be out here in the rain, even if she was moments ago. I suspect that she has already sought out refuge. Currently," he handed her the umbrella. "You are drenched. If you catch a cold, you will not be able to search for her for some while."

Hisana's eyes brimmed with tears and she hung her head. Yes, she was acting rather rashly and was thankful for Byakuya's support.

"Thank you, Byakuya-sama." She gulped. "I'm sorry." Byakuya's eyelids dropped. He couldn't bear to see her so miserable.

"No need," he replied and drew her comfortingly into his arms. Hisana sniffed gratefully as she curled up against his chest and sobbed. Byakuya tightened his hold around her wet, shivering body and looked up at the summer rain.


	6. Five: Flowers

**Chapter Five) Flowers**

Hisana still felt light-headed from what happened yesterday morning. She tried convincing herself it was a dream, but she couldn't believe that. The strength of his arms cradling her, the soft warmth emanating from his hand into hers, it had all been too real. That was the exact reason why her head was spinning.

"But why?" she asked herself aloud as she strode down another dirt path. Before she could answer her question, she spotted a plum tree sitting next to the road. Even though she knew that it was probably stripped clean of its fruit, she still shuffled over for a look. Nothing. Maybe there was a little one left at the top. She backed up and took a running start before she leaped up to grab the lowest branch. Her poorly nourished arms could not handle the sudden gravity and body weight crashing down and was wrenched free of the limb. She yelped and spun around just in time to cushion her fall by spreading her arms out in front of her. It wasn't a long fall but her wrists stung all the same.

She winced a little and after a few tries she finally managed to get a good hold of the limb. She sat there for a while to catch her breath before ascending through the branches. She scrutinized every twig and pushed aside bunches of leaves. Still nothing. She sighed and began to climb down until she felt something clammy brush against her foot. She almost fell out of the tree out of surprise but instead quickly hoisted herself onto another branch. She looked down. There, in the bend of a limb, sat a plum that probably fell there unintentionally and was forgotten. She sighed a relieved sigh; she had almost stepped on her meal. She plucked it delicately from its roost and lowered herself from the tree with care. She brushed the dirt off of the plum and did her best to clean it up a bit. It was rather bruised but she did not mind. She refrained from eating the rotten part though; she couldn't afford to get sick.

She continued her stroll and nibbled contentedly on her plum. She hadn't had anything to eat all day. She was already accustomed to the gnawing hunger and learned how to stave it off for short periods of time but she still needed food. She slightly wandered off the path and plopped herself onto a fallen log among weeds. Tonight she would meet Byakuya here. They didn't convene last night because he had a mission but he promised to meet her again the following night. At first she was concerned and asked him if he would be all right but he dismissed her with a bored hand.

_He's different from other nobles_, pondered Hisana as she sucked on the juice of her lunch. _He actually bothers to come out every night to Rukongai just to meet… me_. She paused at this conclusion. She scraped off the rotten meat and tossed the pit into the dry grass. As she watched the ants swarm greedily over the seed, she hugged her legs to her thin body.

_Does he really think of me in that way? Or does he think of me as a friend?_ She guessed it would make sense if they were simply friends but her heart wanted more than that. She buried her face into her dirty knees. She would love to believe that he thought more of her but a noble falling in love with a commoner? That was unheard of and pretty much impossible. _Still_, thought Hisana. _I really ought to do something for all the inconvenience I've been causing him._ But what could she do? She had nothing to give save the _kimono_ she repaired with a rudimentary needle of fishbone and a mule's tail hair. She sighed and stood up. Her stomach growled, craving more succulent fruit. She mentally silenced it and treaded into town. She was unafraid of being among crowds; she had nothing to be pick-pocketed of.

She sauntered over to a shabby stall set up in the lively streets of the market. The merchant sold all sorts of things: fruit, wooden trinkets, liquor, things she didn't know how to describe, and a live chicken. Hisana silently berated herself for having no money.

"Well? Yeh gonna buy nothin' or no?" huffed the grouchy man as he lazily fanned himself with a sheet of scruffy rice paper. Hisana looked at him. He had the same bitter and suspicious look in his eye as any other vendor in Inuzuri. It was the look that always accused you of stealing or being up to no good. Yet, underneath that gander was the hope for something right to happen in this slum of a town. She got the impression that he would have been a kind person if he wasn't cheated so many times. She wanted to smile politely but avoided doing so out of fear of provoking him.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money." She quickly walked away before he could say anything. She looked up towards the sun and could tell by its position and the heat that it was early afternoon; the hottest time of the day. She scurried off to find a safe place to rest and wait out the afternoon blaze.

---

A loud _whump _shook her awake and she banged her forehead on the rough wood that spread over her. She had found shady refuge underneath somebody's porch and it seemed like there was a fight going on according to the bangs and crashes that echoed above. She rubbed her forehead gingerly and carefully crawled through the dirt and trash that lay with her. She scampered away once free and slowed her pace as she began to head out of town. She brushed the dirt off of her body and glanced around. The shadows had lengthened quite a bit; it must be an hour or so before sunset. She still didn't know what to do for Byakuya.

_Maybe I can take him somewhere like he did for me._ But that was out of the question. There was nothing fascinating about Inuzuri except for the filth and the unruly battles in the bars weren't exactly a tourist attraction.

What to do, what to do. Hisana padded through the rocky fields and stopped. She thought she saw a tinge of blue disappear behind a large boulder. She cautiously approached the rock and peered behind it. It was three periwinkle balloon flowers, swaying nonchalantly in the breeze.

"Balloon flowers? This late in the summer?" asked Hisana incredulously. She pursed her lips. _Maybe Kuchiki-sama would like these. He did say, after all, that he enjoys flowers._ Capriciously, she knelt down and plucked all three. Usually she felt like doing such an action was a bit unforgiving, but she was afraid that someone would come along and ruin them. She stood up. There were still a few hours before nightfall.

---

Byakuya was already standing in front of the mossy log, gazing at the moon. She didn't make the effort to tiptoe; she already knew that he knew she was there. She meandered over to his right side. "Welcome back, Kuchiki-sama. Did the mission go well?"

He turned his head to look at her. "There was only one casualty and his wounds were very minor."

Hisana smiled gently. "That's good to hear. Kuchiki-sama—" She held up the three fragile balloon flowers for him to take. "I… found these when I was walking around today. I want to thank you for being generous and I thought that you would like these…" She looked at his face. He took the flowers with such an expressionless face that she began to fluster.

"Um, well, that's just what I think, because you said you liked flowers, I know it's strange to see balloon flowers this time of the year and I picked them too early so they might be a little wilted now, of course, there's more than that—"

He looked at her with the same expressionless expression. She wanted to smack herself. What was she saying?

"More?" inquired Byakuya as he turned his body to face her directly.

"Er… yes, um… close your eyes, please, Kuchiki-sama," stammered Hisana.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow before doing as he was told. Hisana feverishly peered around for any flowers she could secretly pick. There were none. It was as if all the flowers in the universe conspired to put her in this situation. She looked at Byakuya. His eyes were still closed. She inhaled a deep breath. _This is all I can think of._

With her cheeks on fire, she stood on her tiptoes and quickly planted a brief peck on his right cheek before pulling back, blushing like a madman. His eyes flickered open and he had such a mystified look on his face that Hisana would have giggled but she just stared at the ground between her bare feet. She prepared herself to apologize until he cupped his hand underneath her chin and shifted her head up.

"Now," said Byakuya. "Whatever did I do to deserve that?"

Hisana gulped nervously. "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama, it won't happen again—"

"It would be lovely if it did," interrupted Byakuya in a quiet voice.

She stared at him with bewilderment. Her question was finally answered.

---

The following morning, Byakuya placed the balloon flowers in a glass vase half-filled with water on his desk. Several people at work questioned their origin but he did not answer. He finally decided that balloon flowers were his favorite flower.


	7. Six: May

_**A crack collaboration with my brother. Faboo.**_

**Chapter Six) May**

Gentle May breezes ran its course through the Soul Society, tipping hats, flashing dresses, skimming the grasses, tugging at the trees, and gently urging the clouds on like a shepherd herding his sheep. The sun was not quite at its high point and Byakuya and Hisana were alone together on the veranda having breakfast. It was nice to be together at the same table without having grouchy old men and their hindered displeased faces plaguing the atmosphere. Thus, a peculiar sound was emitted.

"Hic."

Both of their heads shot up and looked around. _Where did that come from?_

"Hic." There it was again. Hisana looked suspiciously at Byakuya. He did not want to believe it at first, but that sound was coming from him. He found it extremely disgraceful to display such **human** reflexes.

"Hic." He did it again.

Hisana gave him a confused frown. "Byakuya-sama…?"

"I know, Hisana. I am experiencing embarrassing bodily functions normally exclusive to alcoholics but do not presume that I have been drinking."

"Uh, I wasn't thinking that, Byakuya-sama. I was just a bit… concerned. Hiccups usually mean the internal rhythm of your throat is out of balance. It's nothing really, but some people get embarrassed over it."

"I agree in their position," replied Byakuya.

Hisana thought a bit first before she spoke. "Well, if it annoys you, you can try to get rid of it."

"I suppose." He stood up. "Hic— we must locate the —hic— source of this disturbance."

Hisana sighed. "Have you ever had hiccups before, Byakuya-sama?"

"Never in my memory."

Hisana goggled a little bit in amazement. "Erm, one method that helps me most of the time is when I breathe in a paper bag for five minutes. But in Inuzuri the luxury of paper bags is practically nonexistent so I just wait for them to go away."

Upon hearing the clause 'breathe in a paper bag', he snapped his fingers and two young servants came scuttling up.

"Servants," he commanded. "Bring paper bags."

The two servants looked a little inquiring but they nevertheless replied in unison, "Yes, Byakuya-sama."

After they left Hisana said, "Byakuya-sama, you only need one…"

"One may not —hic— be enough."

Hisana blinked a few times before becoming noticeably interested in sipping her tea.

Soon enough, the two young servants arrived with two silver trays laden with premium paper bags of the highest quality. They set the trays on the table, bowed respectfully, and promptly disappeared.

Byakuya smoothly plucked one of the paper bags from the tray and inspected it for a brief second before looking down at Hisana.

"I am supposed to —hic— inhale and exhale —hic— in this contraption, correct?"

"Please don't make it sound so negative, Byakuya-sama," answered Hisana. "If it works for me, it'll work for you."

Byakuya took a deep breath. "Hic— so begins my purgatory." He looked a little skeptical before inserting his face into his prison of cellulose. "For five minutes?" he asked in a muffled voice.

"Counting," said Hisana. She was trying not to laugh. He looked so silly with his face in a paper bag. Unfortunately, a suppressed giggle escaped from her lips as an odd squeak.

Upon hearing this, Byakuya immediately withdrew his face from the bag. "What is it —hic?"

Hisana turned her face away to conceal her grin. "Nothing. You have to be consistent in applying the bag, Byakuya-sama. Or it won't work."

"Very well." He shoved his face back into paper bag.

One minute passed —hic. Two minutes passed —hic. Three minutes passed —hic. Four minutes passed —hic. Five minutes —hic. Six minutes — hic. Six minutes and thirty seconds —hic. Byakuya slammed the paper bag onto the table.

"This is not working —hic," he said.

Hisana frowned. "Hmm… How strange. Maybe it's different for other people."

"Does it mean that there is no —hic— other method?" questioned Byakuya.

"Not necessarily," answered Hisana. "There are legends that some people have dealt with their hiccups by eating large amounts of sugar, but I personally don't know anyone who used this method and succeeded."

Once again, Byakuya snapped his pale fingers and the same two servants approached gracefully before ungracefully slipping and sliding on the newly polished floor. After being braked by slamming into the table legs (Hisana scooted out of the way just in time) they sheepishly gathered themselves and stood up and bowed.

"Forgive us—" they began to immensely apologize before Byakuya cut them off.

"Three things. Number one, do not be so clumsy. Number two, apply more wax to the floor. Number three, bring sugar."

The servants were relieved and even more confused than last time. They quickly exchanged glances before bowing again: "Of course, Byakuya-sama." They hurried away this time without slipping but screeches and crashes could be heard in the distance not ten seconds later. Hisana had this concerned look on her face but Byakuya hiccupped and ignored the mayhem as he sat down at the table.

Minutes later a battered but not broken servant well advanced in years appeared holding a fine china pot complete with an ornate spoon. He placed the sugar pot on the table and bowed low before promptly leaving.

Byakuya hesitated… for a long while. He eyed the insidious mounds of sugary sugar sitting almost **patiently** in the portly pot. Then he spoke, "All of these… are to be consumed— hic?"

Hisana tilted her head a little. "You don't have to eat **all** of them. Just eat what you think is—"

The sugar unexpectedly disappeared. Hisana blinked. The sugar… it was there just there a second ago. _Where did it…?_

Byakuya stood up in the blink of an eye. "Imust—hic—run."

Hisana blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"Imustrun," Byakuya rapidly stated. He did not wait for her response. He vanished at a speed that would have made light jealous.

She rubbed her eyes.

"Was that the sugar?" she asked aloud. "I've never seen him so… hyper." She thought to herself for a little moment before calling, "Jeeves?"

A butler came to her side and bowed.

"How may I help you Hisana – (he sucked in a deep breath) SAMA?"

She ignored his forceful intonation. "I believe Byakuya-sama and I are finished eating. May you please take away the plates?"

"Of course! You needn't ask, Hisana-SAMA. Is there anything else I could do?"

"Um, once you are done, may you please get my book? The one bound in red on my dresser."

"My pleasure, Hisana-SAMA." He gathered up the plates onto a wooden tray and departed.

Once her red book was placed before her, Hisana began flipping through the pages. She finally found the spot where she left off and resumed reading. She never knew that a sarcophagus was a coffin. After she finished reading the definition of sardine Byakuya suddenly reappeared at the table and somewhat lithely collapsed onto his pouf at the table.

"Byakuya-sama!" she screeched. She was both alarmed and surprised at his sudden arrival. She rushed over to his side. He was perspiring like a waterfall and his eyes were glazed over.

"I believe—hic— that I can catch that Shihouin woman in 'Chase the Devil' now," gasped Byakuya. Hisana had almost absolutely no idea what he was talking about. _Didn't the Shihouin woman leave Soul Society around fifty years ago? And isn't 'Chase the Devil' a children's game?_

"What did you do, Byakuya-sama?" asked Hisana as she brushed his hair out of his face. It was a little bit difficult because he was resting his head on the table.

"I ran around Soul Society."

"All around?"

"Correct."

Hisana blinked. This morning was becoming more bizarre by the second.

"And the—hic— hiccups still remain." Byakuya dragged his head up to look dubiously at her.

Hisana's face turned a sickly shade of purple. "B-byakuya-sama, it's not like I want to put you through all these trials for my own entertainment!"

"I suppose so." He sat up straight. "Any other options?"

Hisana pursed her lips. This was worse than she thought. And the last option she had was to be frightened. But nobody frightens Byakuya. **He** frightens people. Byakuya noticed her hesitation but pressed her on with his sharp gaze. Hisana closed her eyes and opened them again before answering.

"There **is **another option. I doubt it would work for you though."

The gaze intensified.

Hisana shuddered a little and continued. "You have to be… frightened. Like, surprised frightened. Somebody needs to scare you."

"Scare…?" echoed Byakuya.

As soon as the word 'scare' escaped his lips, the wall right next to them exploded into shards and showered molten debris all around them. Hisana screamed and Byakuya quickly swept her up and jumped back a good distance to view the carnage.

There, in the smoke swirling around ominously, a large foot shot out of the dust and slammed itself solidly into the innocent table which was reduced to splinters.

A raspy voice rang out, "Did somebody say scare?" Accompanied by the gentle tinkling of bells, Zaraki Kenpachi emerged from the destruction like a shark in feed frenzy mode. Hisana thought she was going to faint at the sight of the six and a half feet tall monster. It was the fiercest and wildest thing she ever saw in her life.

Byakuya remained stolid. "What are you –hic— doing here?"

Kenpachi snorted and slung the sword carelessly over his shoulder. "I was supposed to go to a captain's meeting this morning, but I kind of got lost. Then I heard somebody say scare, which meant that there would be a fight. So?" Kenpachi sneered at him. "What about it?"

Byakuya had no idea how Kenpachi achieved this conclusion with such logic or how he could hear their conversation in the first place. And he doubted he would leave even when he told him to. On top of that, how can he ward off a captain? His _bankai_ was still underdeveloped. He decided to be verbal anyway.

"Hic—Leave. My wife nearly fainted."

"Really?" somebody squealed loudly. A pink-haired toddler emerged from the barbaric captain's back like a cancerous tumor and crawled onto Kenpachi's shoulder. She looked around hastily and finally noticed Hisana cuddled up in Byakuya's arms with a blanched, shocked expression.

"Poor lady!!" She hopped off of Kenpachi's shoulder toward the aghast raven-haired maiden. "She needs a hug!!"

Despite the possible fact that Yachiru had good intentions, Byakuya skillfully evaded the flying pink missle.

"I will not—hic— repeat myself. **Leave.**"

"What was that?" Kenpachi cupped his left ear with his left hand.

"**Leave.**"

Kenpachi smirked. "You repeated yourself."

Byakuya really disliked this new captain.

"I will assure you that if I contest myself against you, no fear will –hic—enter my being. You might as well leave."

Kenpachi shook his head and hacked a loogie to the side. Byakuya prevented himself from squinting in disgust.

"C'mon. Your teacher bragged about how good you were and how you should be a captain and all. I want to see if it's all for good reason. Whaddya think?"

Curse Ukitake. If he had so much wind for talking, why didn't he use it for breathing? Maybe he would cough so much then. But Byakuya had an idea.

"He has every reason to believe that I can achieve the position of captain. How about this— we will spar at the –hic—tallest hill in the 56th District of Rukongai. After all, the –hic—release of _zanpakutou_ is prohibited in the Court of Pure Souls, am I wrong?"

Kenpachi shrugged again. "I wouldn't know. I don't have a release."

"In other words, warring between soul reapers is forbidden in the _Seireitei_."

"I wouldn't know that either," yawned Kenpachi.

"Never mind—hic. I will see you at the 56th District shortly."

Kenpachi grinned. "That's the ticket." Byakuya vanished by utilizing _shunpo_. Kenpachi glanced up at Yachiru who was playing in an apple tree in the garden.

"C'mon, Yachiru! We've got business to take care of!"

"Yay! Playtime!" She bounced down from the tree and onto Kenpachi's head with an apple clamped between her tiny, needle-sharp teeth. "Es go!"

Once Yachiru was in a settled position, Kenpachi eagerly rushed through the streets of _Seireitei_.

"So, Ken-chan! Where are we going to play?" asked Yachiru as she gnawed on the juicy apple.

Kenpachi was quiet as he burned the soles of his straw sandals in his speeding state. _Was it the 56th District or the 66__th_

"Ken-chan, say something!" shouted Yachiru over the whistling of rushing wind. Juice from the apple dribbled down and caught Kenpachi in the eye.

"Argh!!!"

"Where's that?"

"Stupid! It's not a place! Damn it…" Kenpachi began to rub at his eyes to ease the stinging sensation and did not notice the upcoming concrete wall.

"Ken-chan, we're going to crash!" shrieked Yachiru. She disowned the bitten apple and used both hands to grab two of his signature braids. She yanked them to the right as if they were reins only to steer forcefully into an urbane, white-washed wall.

---

Byakuya appeared in the middle of a random street in _Seireitei_ and set down Hisana. She could never get used to flash steps. Her legs wobbled a little like a newborn deer and grabbed Byakuya's arm to steady herself. He tenderly linked arms with her.

"Are you all right?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm fine." She held a hand up to her face to set her vision straight. She then looked up to Byakuya.

"Byakuya-sama, you're not really going to fight him, are you?"

"No. I told him—hic—that falsehood so that he would leave."

Hisana smiled shyly. She wished she could easily talk her way out of trouble like him.

"Hic."

Hisana gasped a little. That's right! They still needed to take care of his hiccups.

"After all that, you still weren't frightened?"

"Why would I be? We were in no danger."

Hisana raised her hand to smack him in the back of the head but caught herself in mid action and ended up stroking his hair.

Byakuya was surprised by her sudden affection but they walked on anyway.

"So, um, what **are** you frightened of, anyway?"

Byakuya's eyes shifted to the side to look at her. "Losing you—hic."

Hisana flushed and averted her gaze. "Oh… um…" She didn't know what to say. And then her light bulb lit up.

"I see… then I suppose you wouldn't like to hear that I'm… uh… having an affair with Captain Ukitake?"

Byakuya's eyes widened in alarm and he spun around to face her. "**What did you say?**"

"Are the hiccups gone, Byakuya-sama?" asked Hisana hopefully.

"**Answer my question.**"

Hisana scoffed and gave him a light shove on the shoulder. "Of course not. I'd never do that. At least, not with Captain Ukitake."

Byakuya continued to stare in horror and disbelief.

"It was a joke, Byakuya-sama. I was joking. I just said that to surprise you. The hiccups are gone now, aren't they?"

"… Hic," said Byakuya.

Hisana's body slackened in defeat. Even when she went as far as putting Byakuya's trust in her in jeopardy, it still didn't work. She felt Byakuya place his hands on both of her shoulders. She looked up at him.

"It was a joke, Hisana," he said placidly with smiling eyes. Hisana's eyes widened.

"That was a joke?"

Byakuya took her hand and began to walk back to the estate. "What did I just say?"

She took a moment to register his words. He really did make a joke, even if it was more frightening than funny. She couldn't help but notice the quirky things about him the more time she spent with him.

"Well, you'll have to work now, right?" she asked. Byakuya nodded.

"I'll have to pick up my papers first—"

He was interrupted by a loud explosion to their left. Hisana yelped and Byakuya stood his ground. It was none other than Kenpachi. He appeared to be distracted.

"So, uh, just which way is 56th or 66th or whatever the hell it is District?" he muttered to himself as he scanned the street left and right. His sunken eyes landed on the couple on his right. He smiled excitedly like a nine year old at his birthday party.

"There you are! I've been looking for ya!" he hissed happily as he pulled out his soul slayer. Hisana winced at the serrated edges of the blade. It did not look friendly.

Byakuya's nonchalant face betrayed no emotion.

"Now, now, captain. We are still in the Court of Pure Souls."

Kenpachi crazily brandished his sword. "Don't give a fuck! Let's fight! Here and now! If anyone tries to stop us, I'll kill them! As a matter of fact, the more the merrier! Wha—? Hey!"

Byakuya and Hisana were no longer standing there.

---

Byakuya halted at the entrance of the Kuchiki manor and set down Hisana. She leaned her back against the gate and moaned. Two series of flash-steps in one day; she was sure this was bad for her health.

"Hey, are you sure he won't follow us?"

Byakuya nodded. "As long as I conceal my spiritual pressure, he can not sense me. And I do not mean to be rude, but he surely can not sense you as well. On top of that, Captain Zaraki has a terrible sense of direction. He only found the Kuchiki estate by sheer dumb luck."

Hisana smiled a relieved smile and they walked into the mansion together. She watched him gather his articles and accompanied him back to the front gate. She should get going too; she had an entire Inuzuri to search.

"Well, I bid you farewell for the moment, Byakuya-sama," said Hisana, bowing.

Byakuya ran his hand through her hair before turning around and departing. Hisana straightened her back and turned her head. Inuzuri was in the opposite direction. She looked up at the sky. Unlike earlier this morning, all the clouds were gone. Some birds fluttered here and there, whistling. She took a deep breath. The weather was perfect for searching—

"Hic," hiccupped Hisana.

_**How to cure hiccups- Hold a mouthful of water in your mouth, tilt your head back so that you are facing the ceiling, and swallow.**_

_**red book- We have this fat red college dictionary that affectionately greets my foot from time to time courtesy of gravity and carelessness.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**:EDIT: It appears disagrees with strike-through text and punctuation so this chapter had to be edited and reinstalled. How depressing. If the question marks still don't show up, please bear with me.**_


	8. Seven: Midnight

**Chapter Seven) Midnight**

A week flew by since the wedding. Ever since Hisana married Byakuya, she felt like her life was speeding up. She didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. Yes, he made her life more full, more… steady. It was the only way she could describe it. In her days in Inuzuri she was always, always searching. Searching for food, water, a place to sleep, somewhere to rest for a few minutes… the list went on. And yet she was still searching, that is, for her sister.

Hisana looked up at the wooden ceiling as she lay in their bed. She guessed it was one hour past midnight, but she couldn't sleep. Everything was like a dream. Somehow, she had married the head of the noble Kuchiki Household who was also an assistant captain of the 13th Company. People often threw her incredulous looks when she walked through Seireitei. She didn't blame them. She'd be a little suspicious too if a nobody from Rukongai all of a sudden married a nobleman.

Thankfully, not everyone disapproved of their marriage. For example, Byakuya's captain was actually very enthusiastic and almost threatened Byakuya for an invitation to the wedding. He turned out to be part of the very few who were invited for Byakuya had a detached demeanor.

Hisana was very surprised when she discovered that she was well-admired by the servants of the Kuchiki house- particularly young girls. They were all fascinated and wondered how she managed to 'melt the ice'. They never said it, but she knew what they were thinking. How did she do it? She did not know. Love really does make you do the unthinkable. But what would her fellow aristocrats know about love? Most of them were forced into marriage as if it were a duty. The same thing went for having children.

She rolled over a few times but she finally admitted that she was not in a sleeping mood. There was too much on her mind. She sat up and looked down to her right where Byakuya was sleeping. She could not see his face because his back was facing her. She gently placed a hand on his left shoulder and looked out the large window. The night was beautiful. The moon was shining brightly, casting a pale blue glow on the outdoors despite the semi-cloudy weather. The fireflies lingering about made the scenery even more eerie, but captivating.

She was careful not to make any noise as she slid out of the bed. She tiptoed over to a chair not too far from their bed and took her shawl that was hanging there. She draped it over her shoulders and quietly exited the room.

---

She silently strolled through the halls of the estate. She considered bringing a lantern but she loved the effect the moon played in her environment. It was deathly quiet; everyone was asleep. Hisana walked back to their private gardens through the spooky shadows. It was one of her favorite sanctuaries in the oppressive Kuchiki house. Spring had begun recently and the sakura were blooming. Hisana could almost taste the crisp, fresh, night air. She didn't want to put on sandals for she loved the way the soft grass felt under her bare toes. A soft breeze was weaving its way through the flora and Hisana took a deep breath. She felt somewhat calmer out here. She walked over to the small pond lined with stones and looked at her reflection. It stared back at her and the moon was a gleaming white orb shining above her reflection's left side. Hisana blinked. There was something underneath that white orb. It was Byakuya's reflection standing with hers.

She squeaked and flailed in alarm. Her spasms almost sent her careening into the water but were stopped in time with a strong, warm arm wrapped around her waist. She blushed and Byakuya set her back down on her feet. Hisana cleared her throat and lowered her head.

"Byakuya-sama, forgive me for acting foolishly. But really, you have a bad habit of sneaking up on people."

Byakuya casually leaned his head to his right. "You have a bad habit of flouncing when surprised."

Hisana looked at him. She bet that he snuck up on her just so he could watch her flounder. Her new husband had a sadistic sense of humor.

"Hisana," said Byakuya after a few seconds of silence. "What are you doing out here?"

She was tempted to ask him the same question but respectfully answered his. "I couldn't sleep." He had a questioning look on his face but she didn't feel like answering. To change the subject she asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"I was notified of your leaving when you left the bedroom," answered Byakuya. Hisana sighed inwardly. Even the buzz of a fly could awaken this man.

"So, um, were you… following me?" Hisana asked in a shy voice. He inclined his head and slowly blinked as if to shrug.

"Following is too negative of a word. I was silently accompanying you."

Hisana accepted it as a yes. Before she could steer the conversation further away from herself he asked with a suspicious look on his face, "Is something bothering you?"

She bit her lip. Yes, something was bothering her. But she didn't want to trouble Byakuya anymore than she already had. Besides, it was her problem. Her own, personal dilemma. A dilemma she couldn't keep to herself any longer. Anyway, Byakuya already sensed a disturbance.

She sighed, this time outwardly. "Byakuya-sama, do you have any siblings?"

He was both a little confused and surprised at this seemingly random question. But he thought he had an idea of where this was going.

"No," he replied.

"I do," said Hisana. She turned around to face the starless sky. "I have a little sister. Rukia. She was so cute. We… died in the living world sometime in mid-summer. The two of us were sent to Inuzuri."

Byakuya closed his eyes. Hisana couldn't stop herself now.

"Life there was hard. It was difficult to support the two of us. I remember. I remember how much I trembled when I walked. I remember Rukia's cries and she too trembled like I did. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, she would die again."

She turned to look at Byakuya. His eyes were closed. But she continued. "Then… I did something treacherous. I…" Her breath was becoming raw. "Deserted… her. I left her on somebody's doorstep. Back then, I thought I was doing the right thing because I thought Rukia had a better chance of survival by being taken in by a stranger than staying with someone who could barely stand. But now," she lowered her gaze. "I can only search for her and wonder if she's still alive or not. That's when I feel guilty. When I'm with you, I feel happy and safe while Rukia's out there, maybe hungry and filthy."

Byakuya opened his eyes and studied her sad, pitiful face. From the very moment he laid his eyes on her, she always had a look that hinted that something was missing, like a missing puzzle piece. At first he thought she was sorrowful from her hard life in the slums. Hisana stepped forward and took both of his hands with her small ones.

"I'm so sorry, Byakuya-sama. I have given Rukia and you so much trouble. It's because I was too helpless to begin with. You've fought and given up so much for me, yet I have given you nothing and…" Her voice trailed off. It was beginning to crack and her eyes were filling up with tears.

_Great,_ she thought miserably as she bowed her head. _I'm so helpless I can't even finish what I have to say._ She couldn't help hating herself. She felt exposed and vulnerable. She wanted to hide. She didn't want Byakuya to see her like this. Who could live day after day like this with a weak-spirited wretch?

Byakuya's index finger slipped underneath her chin and gently raised it. Hisana sucked in a breath and forced herself to look into his eyes. They were not repulsed or reproachful. In all actuality, they were sad, like hers.

"Hisana," he began. "Don't say things like that. You are not helpless. If you were, you would not have survived in Rukongai. And you have given me more than I have now and will ever have. You have given me companionship and genuine happiness. Before I met you, my emotions were guarded meticulously. I can not describe how delightful I feel when I am with you. You have given me a reason to wake up each morning. You have given me an escape from my daily routine doomed to repetition. Every moment I spend with you is a new delightful experience that I will never forget. Above all, you have given me love. You care about me just for the simple reason of caring about me. It is unlike the all the servants and soldiers who care for their masters out of honor and duty. Despite all these things I have listed, will you insist that you are insignificant?"

Hisana couldn't help but smile a little. His words were uplifting and unfeigned. It gave her the strength to believe that she truly could bring happiness to this man. She blinked away the tear and allowed it to drip down her cheek.

She knew he would wipe away her tears and maybe, just maybe, she could find her beloved sister. Not maybe, she corrected herself. She _will_. With a wonderful man as her foundation and by her side, she could do anything.

Byakuya wiped away the lone tear with his thumb.

They went inside.

They went to bed.

They fell asleep together.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.


	9. Eight: Fall

**Chapter Eight) Fall**

The pebble skipped one, two, three times along the water before finally plunging into the muddy depths of the river. Hisana's head perked up from its resting place on her knees. She watched the ripples dilate hypnotically before returning to oblivion as quickly as they came. She looked over at Byakuya. He was sitting casually with his back leaning against the steep, rocky riverbank. Hisana was squatting about two meters away among the mud and parched, thin grass to observe the river. It was not beautiful. The water was greasy and dead vegetation, waste, or who knows what cruised by occasionally. It did not smell the nicest but it was tolerable.

Usually, the melody of peaceful coursing water would have soothed her but for some reason the atmosphere was thick and silence seemed so dominant that no one dared defy it. At least, that's what she thought before the little pebble crushed this unspoken rule. Now, as she stared at him, he softly tossed another pebble up and down in his hand before chucking it into the river.

"What are you doing?" Hisana asked. He gave her a look that suggested she was asking a senseless question and picked up another rock. Her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment; of course it was a stupid question. She knew perfectly well what he was doing but she meant to ask _why_ he was doing it. Never had she seen Byakuya do something as idle as skipping rocks or being absentminded at all. He was always perfectly still like a solemn gargoyle and moved only when required. In fact, he did seem rather distracted. Hisana exhaled and faced him.

"Pardon my miscommunication, Kuchiki-sama. I meant to ask, how do you skip rocks?" Yes, that was a more appropriate question. She had seen rock-skipping being performed before and her attempts at mimicking the trick were succeeded by failure. Byakuya stopped fingering the smooth pebble in his hand and stood up. Upon his action, Hisana too rose. He strode evenly to her side. Hisana just watched him in anticipation as he slipped the damp river stone into her blanched, chapped hand and bent down briefly to snatch up another stone with his right hand. He then turned his body towards the polluted, sickly river and held the newly acquired pebble a small distance from his right hip.

"Swing your arm back and toss it forward at a low angle. Be sure to flick your wrist." He demonstrated this procedure with such skill and speed that Hisana could not catch his movements. The self-consciously launched rock bounded six times off of the water and ricocheted into the tangled shrubs on the opposite side. The painful yowl and rustle of a cat followed the pebble's touchdown. Hisana winced in pity and glanced at Byakuya. If he had heard the cry, he ignored it with an indifferent face. The same indifferent face felt her stare and turned to look at her. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the river. She wasn't quite sure how he did it (she was certain he was showing off just now) but she bent her arm back and threw it with her wrist jutting forward. The rock whirled through the air and landed somewhere in the middle of the river.

She frowned a little in disappointment and reached down to pluck another rock. She straightened herself up and drew back her arm to try again but was stayed by a gentle grasp curled around her skinny wrist. Her eyes widened and she twisted her head around to look at Byakuya. His expression and tone was nonchalant as he held up her forearm and said, "Your wrist should fling around like this." With his index finger and thumb he rocked her hand back and forth gently. Hisana nodded to present her comprehension and he stopped wagging her hand but did not remove his. She noticed this and looked at his face. He was staring at her minute hand in his big one and his eyes flickered up to meet hers. He immediately let go and turned around to tread up the riverbank. Hisana frowned and began to walk after him.

"Is there something wrong, Kuchiki-sama?" The part of her that cared about him desperately wanted to know and the part of her that was conscious of their class desperately did not want to know. He peered over his shoulder to look at her. Hisana observed his countenance. He was not sad, or angry for that matter. His lips were sloped downward but were not set in his face. His eyebrows were not furrowed and were perfectly still. But his eyes were slightly wider although not open all the way. They were usually half-closed in serenity and disinterest. If Hisana had a say in anything, he looked nervous. It was the closest word that matched his expression. She would hate to imagine whatever monstrosity that was making _the_ Kuchiki Byakuya 'nervous'.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Byakuya reached out his virile hand to her to help her up the steep bank. She offered a grateful little smile and gripped his mighty hand. He pulled her up with virtually no effort and walked her onto the splintery bridge that spread over the river. Hisana's eyes grew wide in realization.

"Kuchiki-sama, this is the place where we met!" She hauled herself onto the faded wooden railing and carefully balanced her upright posture. "That's where I was sitting and then you came…" She pointed at a cherry tree whose branches were dangling tantalizingly in front of the end-posts of the railing.

"I'm glad you remember," Byakuya said stoically. Hisana threw him a hardened look. How could he be so unmoved in such a nostalgic moment? She sighed and plopped herself down on the chipped wood of the handrail.

"All right, Kuchiki-sama, what's going on?" asked Hisana irritably. Byakuya strode over and picked her up by the waist before setting her down. He let his hands rest on her bony hips and looked at the cloudy sky.

"It is autumn already." Hisana could have kicked him in the shin for saying something so obvious. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Byakuya.

"Hisana—" he half-mumbled. He lowered his head to conceal the soft rosettes of pink creeping to his cheeks. "It's only been three-quarters of a year since we have met, but your company has made me aware of many new things. Never before had I felt so unsure and unfamiliar in someone's presence." Not good. His heartbeats were beginning to quicken. Breathing normally was proving to be a challenge. This did not slip by unnoticed by Hisana. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Byakuya pressed on.

"Whenever I am with you, I can feel my heart flutter. You are the only one who can put me at a loss of words." His grasp on her hips tightened. "Now, Hisana, knowing that I humble myself by asking… I… will you—"

Hisana smiled coyly before taking his face in her hands and firmly placing her lips on his. It was her turn to interrupt his flow of words. Byakuya's eyes widened and his arms slackened. Then he quickly gathered himself and wound his arms around her petite frame and proceeded to thoroughly invade her mouth. When their breathing became forced and strained, they released each other and stood at half an arm's length from each other. Byakuya's hands remained on her hips as her hands were still attached to his face. Hisana stroked his left cheek with her thumb.

"I thought you would never ask," she whispered.

"So did I." Byakuya closed the distance between them with his forehead settling on hers. Hisana beamed and saw him smile before their eyes slid shut. Their lips touched gently before intensifying the pressure. They were losing themselves, devouring each other's mind, body, soul, and heart, falling.


	10. Nine: Smile

**Chapter Nine) Smile**

Hisana stared straight into the back of Byakuya's head as he knelt at his desk, neatly scribbling down reports and sorting papers as usual. It was the 'as usual' part that bothered her. She scooted up next to him.

"Byakuya-sama, do you really think you should be doing paperwork at a time like this?"

Byakuya eyes flickered over to meet her gaze.

"Is there something wrong with this time?"

Hisana almost scoffed out loud. But she was willing to play his game of aloofness.

"Hmmm, I don't really know. Perhaps it's because of the fact that today is the first day we will spend together as husband and wife?"

"Is there a difference between the first day and the second day?"

"There won't be a difference unless you do something about it!" Exasperation was splayed across Hisana's countenance. "I'm not saying you should be remiss in your duties or anything, but Byakuya-sama! The Commander General was kind enough to let you off today in honor of your marriage! Are you really going to pass it up?"

"It was an unnecessary holiday. Just because I am not at the office, it does not mean I will slack off."

Hisana's head slightly slumped. "Do you expect to spend everyday of your life working like a pack mule?"

"Comparing me to an animal was also unnecessary."

Hisana opened her mouth to inform him of the undesired transition of subjects but no words came out. She closed it and her eyes slid away from his desk. Despite Byakuya's displeasure in being referenced to an animal, a pack mule was an accurate match. Both could work very hard, and both were very stubborn. She stood up and paced about in their room. The word 'enormous' could not describe their chambers. But 'sparse' could. When she thought about it, the Kuchiki mansion was immense, but it was lacking in ostentatious ornaments. The Kuchiki family was entrusted with many precious historical artifacts of the Soul Society, and all of them were safely locked away in vicinities known solely to the Head.

Her steps ceased as she stood in front of their low dresser. Like everything else in the luxurious household it was clean and tidy, excluding the few oddities left over from the reception scattered here and there. But one object did catch her eye.

"What could this be?" Her slim pale hands carefully picked up a worn Polaroid camera. She cradled the clunky mass of plastic as her smooth digits wormed over the crevices and lens critically. She supposed it was a decent gift compared to the lemon flavored condoms offered by the 8th Company Captain. She quietly snickered as she remembered Byakuya burning the package with the Kuchiki Glare™ after realizing what they were despite Kyōraku insisting that the latex strips were a 'joke'. After a few brief minutes of vain inspection, she finally padded over to Byakuya. Perhaps this peculiar 'box' was capable of distracting her obstinate lord and husband.

"Byakuya-sama, what's this?" she asked, trying to sound as curious as possible. She waited a few seconds and he pivoted his torso to examine whatever she had in her arms. His eyelids lowered in recognition once it was distinguished.

---

_A waving hand caught Byakuya's attention as he stood with his wife, apathetically accepting the congratulations and acknowledgments offered by the few handfuls of visitors. His head turned and he noticed Captain Ukitake beckoning to him. He nodded and respectfully approached his captain, a little disconcerted as to why he still remained. Didn't he just walk out with Captain Kyōraku a little while ago?_

"_Did you forget something, Captain?" asked Byakuya presumably._

_Captain Ukitake smiled in the same fashion parents do whenever their child says something absurd. He deftly reached inside of the sleeve of his robe and Byakuya desperately hoped it wasn't more sweets. He was internally surprised when the sickly captain produced a moderately chipped, elephant-gray Polaroid instant camera. He handed the piece of junk to his adjutant. Byakuya just stared at it, all the more wondering why the 13__th__ Company Captain offered him something so… abused._

_Captain Ukitake noticed Byakuya's expression and managed to keep smiling after coughing violently into a handkerchief. "I picked it up in one of my recent trips to the human world. It may look useless, but it's useful for capturing time." Here he winked. "You might want to use it."_

---

"It was given to me by my captain."

"How kind of him. But… what's it for?" She turned the Polaroid over in her hands.

"For capturing time," echoed Byakuya. He gently scooped it from Hisana's grasp and held it in front of his face. "Smile."

Hisana blinked at his sudden request. "W-why?"

"Because you're beautiful." He couldn't think up of a coaxing reason in time but it was a true statement in its childishly simple and frank splendor.

Hisana blinked again in slight bewilderment at his outspoken reply but he succeeded in drawing out his desired effect.

_Cha-chak!_ A bright flash blasted out of the grey box and temporarily blinded Hisana. She squeaked in surprise and clutched wildly at her tightly shut eyes which were swirling with vivid loops and specks.

"Uwahhh…! Byakuya-sama! That was mean!" she protested as Byakuya drew a small slip paper from the camera's slot and held up to the sunlight poking through the windows.

He waited for his distressed wife to stop blinking repeatedly before handing her the film. "Here."

Hisana narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him before accepting the souvenir. She gasped at the picture smiling at her.

"Wh-wha? Is this a painting? It can't be…"

"It is a photograph. This—" he held up the innocent Polaroid "is a camera. This one captures images and it is immediately—call it paint if you want— printed onto a special sheet called film through the use of chemicals." The little camera was placed back into Hisana's arms after the small demonstration. Hisana gazed at it, impressed.

"Amazing…" she commented as she turned it over in her hands. A concise passage of silence crawled by before she finally spoke again. "Byakuya-sama?"

"Hm?"

"May… I take a picture of you?" she asked sheepishly. Her request made her feel like a child; it was embarrassing. Byakuya, however, felt the corner of his lip threaten to twitch upward.

"Very well." He shifted his shoulders into a more proper and regal position than it already was. He noticed a slight hesitation in Hisana.

"What is wrong?"

Hisana looked up at him. "Oh, um… I forgot to ask you, do you take the picture by—"

"Hold up the camera in front of you. On the back there should be a small glass panel. If you look through there, make sure I am in the center of the crosshair. Press the button on top when ready," instructed Byakuya.

"Hmmm," hummed Hisana as she fumbled with the camera. She peeked through the viewfinder.

"Here goes nothing… smile, Byakuya-sama."

Her words were all that the upward twitch needed to take over the stern man's lips.

The camera emitted the same flash that assaulted the unsuspecting Hisana. After a second or two, the expected film popped out and was whisked away by Hisana's thin fingers. Her eyes widened once the picture began to fade into existence and drooped once she noticed flesh obscuring the corner of the photograph.

"Ugh… I guess my finger got in the way of the glass-eye thing… such a good shot too…"

"It is fine," said Byakuya without thinking. "You can try again."

Hisana looked at him in mild surprise. "You don't mind?"

"I do not." Once again, he said it without thinking.

Strangely enough, his caprice did not bother him. After all, it gave him an excuse for smiling.

_**Whoa, what's this? I updated? I'm extremely sorry about the long wait. I could type about five pages of dramatic excuses here but reading all of that would not be fun.**_

_**On a happier note, spring break is around the corner! You know what that means— more writing! Hopefully I'll be able to whip up more updates for my fics during that time.**_

_**Enjoy your day.**_


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